Method for determing an index of refraction

ABSTRACT

In the context of the method according to the present invention, the matter for which the refractive index is to be determined, is made available in the form of a theoretically determinable scattering or diffraction pattern. Two or more orders of diffraction are then defined to form at least one intensity ratio. At least one intensity distribution is formed by irradiating the scattering pattern using one light beam of a defined shape. Subsequently thereto, the intensity ratio is formed based on the orders of diffraction of the intensity distribution. In addition, at least one portion of a characteristic curve is determined, which represents the dependency of the intensity ratio on the refractive index, and, with whose assistance, the corresponding refractive index can be assigned to the intensity ratio formed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention is directed to a method for determining a refractive index, in particular for the smallest material quantities or material structures according to claim 1, and to a device for implementing the method according to claim 13.

[0002] Methods are known for determining the refractive index. In these methods, the refractive index is typically measured using ellipsometry, or by determining the critical angle of the total reflection at layers, or by employing other methods based on the refraction of the light.

[0003] When working with the smallest material quantities, whose structural dimensions vary within the micrometer or nanometer range, the known methods for determining refractive indices fail. For example, because of insufficiently concentrated exciting radiation and improper detection of the scattered or deflected radiation, existing methods are not suitable for amounts of matter constituted as rods, whose diameter is less than 50 micrometers. Particular difficulties arise when the matter only exists in quantities whose dimensions are less than the wavelength. This is true of new types of material, such as photonic crystals, which can be fabricated using additive nanolithography, including corpuscular beam-induced deposition.

[0004] The object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a device and, in particular, a method which are suited, inter alia, for determining the refractive index of material quantities or of material structures in the micrometer range.

[0005] In a most surprising way, this objective is already achieved by the features of the method according to claim 1.

[0006] A device for implementing the method is defined in claim 13. Advantageous further refinements of the method according to the present invention are delineated in the dependent claims.

[0007] In the context of the method according to the present invention, the matter for which the refractive index is to be determined, is made available in the form of a theoretically determinable scattering or diffraction pattern. Two or more orders of diffraction are then defined to form at least one intensity ratio. At least one intensity distribution is formed by irradiating the scattering pattern using one light beam of a defined shape. Subsequently thereto, the intensity ratio is formed based on the orders of diffraction of the intensity distribution. In addition, at least one portion of a characteristic curve is determined, which represents the dependency of the intensity ratio on the refractive index, and, with whose assistance, the specific intensity ratio may be assigned to the corresponding refractive index.

[0008] Moreover, when the intensity ratio is assigned to a refractive index, it is checked whether the intensity ratio formed may be uniquely assigned to a refractive index using the characteristic curve. If this is not the case, it is necessary to likewise implement the method steps until the intensity ratio is formed for one or more amounts of matter of another optical density. However, step b) is retained. Again using the characteristic curve, corresponding refractive indices may then likewise be assigned to the intensity ratios of the other amounts of matter. The refractive index sought may then be selected or determined by comparing the other measuring points to the measuring point that is not to be uniquely assigned.

[0009] For the first time, the described method makes it possible to determine the refractive index in a simple manner, in particular for the smallest material quantities or structures of matter.

[0010] It is also advantageously provided to use a light beam in the form of a Gaussian beam. The only local action of the Gaussian beam has the highly positive effect that the intensities of the diffraction maxima exhibit an intensified dependency on the properties of the matter that makes up the diffraction structure. This is caused by the physical fact that, besides being dependent on the geometric structure of the matter, the scattering or diffraction is also dependent upon the optical density of the matter.

[0011] Therefore, to determine the intensity ratio between two diffraction maxima, higher orders of diffraction are preferably used. Another reason for this is, however, that higher-order diffraction intensities, if at all, only have a small portion of undiffracted scattered light. However, within the range of the measuring accuracy, this does not rule out using the diffraction maximum of the zeroth order and of the first order to derive one or the intensity ratio needed to determine the refractive index.

[0012] Within the scope of the method according to the present invention, it also proves to be advantageous when the light used has a defined polarization direction. This results in a considerable simplification, particularly when theoretically determining the diffraction intensities or their ratios. In this context, in accordance with the present invention, either TE- or TM-polarized light is used, i.e., either horizontally or vertically polarized light.

[0013] In one particularly advantageous further refinement of the subject matter of the invention, it is practical to use a diffraction grating as a scattering pattern to determine the refractive index. Diffraction gratings have the advantage, on the one hand, of being able to be fabricated on an experimental basis and, on the other hand, of being able to be theoretically measured or mathematically represented relatively easily. Accordingly, in accordance with the present invention, the grid rods contain the material to be examined for the refractive index. Mentioned, in this context, is also the use of light having a Gaussian intensity profile, since, besides the experimental advantages already described, this makes it possible to simplify the mathematical, i.e., numerical determination of the diffraction intensity distribution, as well. As a result, by using a diffraction grating, in particular and above all, a true comparison is able to be made between the theoretically defined values and the experimental values.

[0014] The diffraction intensities are measured in accordance with the present invention in the far field of the diffraction structure or of the grating. In this context, one was able to ascertain within the scope of the present invention that, within the range of the measuring accuracy, the assumption is justified that the scattering pattern in the form of a grating is essentially a two-dimensional structure. In other words, one may start from the assumption of an infinite linear expansion of the rods, which, in turn, substantially simplifies the theoretical or numerical determination of the diffraction intensity distribution. In this context, far field means that the size of the grating is much smaller than the measuring distance in which the intensity maxima or intensity distribution are measured.

[0015] The measurement of the intensity ratio or of the diffraction distribution, performed within the framework of the method according to the present invention, may be carried out quite advantageously during transmission as well as during reflection, in accordance with one preferred specific embodiment, the light transmitted by the scattering pattern being measured or detected.

[0016] In an advantageous further embodiment of the present invention, it is also fundamentally possible, using the method according to the present invention, to determine whether the matter to be examined has a homogeneous or inhomogeneous distribution of matter. This is to be taken into consideration, particularly when the attempt is made, for example, when growing the grating rods, to deliberately grow them inhomogeneously. Thus, by applying the method according to the present invention, it is possible to ascertain whether the experimental manipulations were successful with respect to the distribution of matter in the rods.

[0017] When the method according to the present invention is applied, it is not only possible to determine the real part of a refractive index, but, in the same way, it is of utmost benefit that the imaginary part of a complex refractive index may also be ascertained. To this end, in accordance with the present invention, two different intensity ratios are taken into consideration to determine each of the two unknowns of the complex number.

[0018] This case is to be distinguished from the case already described above, where, from the theoretical assignment of the experimentally determined intensity ratio, no unique way is derived to make an assignment to one refractive index. The present invention is able to simply remedy such an ambiguity by carrying out the intensity ratios on different scattering patterns, which should contain different distributions of matter.

[0019] Within the scope of the present invention is, of course, also a device, which is suited for implementing the above-described method and, to this end, includes, in particular, a device for supplying a defined light beam for irradiating diffracting and/or scattering matter, a detector device for recording a diffraction intensity distribution emanating from the matter, a device for determining the intensity ratio(s) between at least two detected diffraction maxima from the diffraction intensity distribution, and a computer device for at least partially determining the functional relationship between the intensity ratio and the refractive index and for assigning the intensity ratio to the refractive index.

[0020] The present invention is elucidated in the following on the basis of an exemplary embodiment, reference being made to the drawing, whose figures show:

[0021]FIG. 1 a schematic representation of the measuring set-up for determining the intensities of the orders of diffraction;

[0022]FIG. 2 the Gaussian intensity profile of the light used for the measurement;

[0023]FIG. 3 a measured diffraction pattern, that was measured on a diffraction grating, whose rods are made of silicon;

[0024]FIG. 4 a simulation of the diffraction pattern according to FIG. 3;

[0025]FIG. 5 an illustration showing the dependency of the quotient derived from the intensity of the first-order maximum and of the second-order maximum, on the refractive index of the grating rods.

[0026] In FIG. 1, a diagrammatic representation of the measuring set-up is evident, as may be used to determine the intensities of the orders of diffraction within the framework of the present invention. In this context, FIG. 1 shows a light source 107, for example a laser, whose monochromatic light is transmitted via an optical fiber, as a spatially limited wave 108, for example in the form of a Gaussian beam 206 (FIG. 2), at diffracting material 103. Matter 103 depicted in FIG. 1 was grown in accordance with the present invention in such a way that the matter, in its geometric arrangement, forms a diffraction grating, which is able to be easily measured or represented mathematically. The type of spatial distribution of amount of matter 103 is often referred to as a motif function. With respect to a grating arrangement 103, for example, a motif function would be understood as the spatial distribution of the matter within one grating period. Grating rods 105 are each disposed centrally in the grating period, and the length of one period corresponds to the distance between two rods 105. As the result of scattering or diffraction at matter 103, an intensity distribution of the light is generated in far field 104, which is measured there using a spatially well resolving detector. In this context, far field means that the distance between the detector and diffracting matter is much greater than the width of the grating formed by the matter. The measurement just described is a so-called transmission measurement, which, however, may also be replaced by a reflection measurement.

[0027] A measured diffraction-intensity distribution in the far field may be seen in FIG. 3. The diagram according to FIG. 3 shows the curve shape of the diffraction maxima for various intensities of the irradiated light. In this instance, the intensity is plotted in arbitrary units over the angles of diffraction. The diffraction pattern was measured on a silicon probe having altogether 11 grating rods placed at a distance of 4 μm from one another and having a radius of 290 nm. The measuring distance to the probe was 18.5 cm. Diffraction maximum 301 of the first order and that of second order 302 are shown from right to left in the representation according to FIG. 3. In this case, the probe was irradiated by a laser beam, which was guided in an optical fiber and whose angular intensity profile may be inferred from FIG. 2. This Gaussian profile was likewise measured at a distance of 18.5 cm. The Gaussian beam had a wavelength of 1.5 μm and a half width of 5.4 μm.

[0028] Within the framework of the method according to the present invention, a numerical analysis of the intensity maxima shown in FIG. 3 yielded, inter alia, their intensity ratio. Although, for the most part, unnecessary, the ratio between the maximum of the zeroth order and that of the first order may be drawn upon as well, for example, to possibly achieve a higher accuracy.

[0029] To derive information about the influence of the refractive index on the diffraction intensities, the present invention provides for using a numerical simulation to determine the diffraction intensities on the periodically refracting structure.

[0030] In this context, the simulation is based on approaches for fully solving the Helmholtz equation with boundary conditions. For this purpose, the following formula is used to describe the incident Gaussian beam: ${{E^{i}\left( {x,y} \right)} = {\frac{\alpha}{\sqrt{\pi}}{\int_{- \theta_{\max}}^{\theta_{\max}}{\exp \left\{ {{{- \alpha^{2}}\sin^{2}\theta} + {{\frac{2\pi}{\lambda}\left\lbrack {{\left( {x - x_{G}} \right)\cos \quad \theta} + {\left( {y - y_{G}} \right)\sin \quad \theta}} \right\rbrack}}} \right\} \cos \quad \theta \quad {\theta}}}}};$ $\alpha = \frac{\pi \quad \omega_{0}}{\lambda}$

[0031] λ . . . being the wavelength of the light,

[0032] w₀ . . . the spot width,

[0033] X_(G),Y_(G) . . . coordinates of the center of the Gaussian beam,

[0034] and the following formulation being selected for the scattered light field: $\begin{matrix} {{E^{s} = {\sum\limits_{m = 1}^{M}\quad E_{m}^{s}}};} & E_{m}^{s} \end{matrix} = {\sum\limits_{l}\quad {t_{l}^{(m)}{H_{l}^{(1)}\left( {\frac{2\pi}{\lambda}r_{m}} \right)}{\exp \left( {\quad l\quad \phi_{m}} \right)}}}$

[0035] For the light field within the cylinders, i.e., of the grating rods, due to their cylindrical form, an approach including Fourrier-Bessel functions was used: $E_{m}^{c} = {\sum\limits_{l}\quad {u_{l}^{(m)}{J_{l}\left( {n_{c}\frac{2\pi}{\lambda}r_{m}} \right)}{\exp \left( {\quad l\quad \phi_{m}} \right)}}}$

[0036] In each of the approaches, index m passes, in succession, over all the cylinders. Its total number being limited to M=11 in the present exemplary embodiment.

[0037] The other variables used in the approaches may be assigned as follows:

[0038] r_(m),φ_(m) . . . local polar coordinates in the m-th cylinder

[0039] n_(c) . . . refractive index to be determined

[0040] J_(l) and H_(l)⁽¹⁾

[0041] . . . 1st order Bessel and Hankel functions and u_(l)^((m)), t_(l)^((m))

[0042] . . . complex unknown variable

[0043] The following boundary conditions are derived from the physical fact that the transition of the light field from the outside into the cylinder takes place in both continuous as well as differentiable fashion: $\begin{matrix} {E_{m}^{c} = {E_{s} + E_{i}}} & \frac{\partial E_{m}^{c}}{\partial r} \end{matrix} = {\frac{\partial E_{s}}{\partial r} + \frac{\partial E_{i}}{\partial r}}$

[0044] It is a question in this case of altogether 2M boundary conditions, namely two for each cylinder rim. Inserting the above formulas into these boundary conditions, after a few transformations, one obtains an enormous linear complex system of equations for the unknowns u_(l)^((m)), t_(l)^((m)).

[0045] The system of equations is able to be solved for the unknown t_(l) ^((m)). In this manner, the desired intensities I_(S=E) _(S) ² in the far field are able to be calculated for the various values of the refractive index n_(c).

[0046] Finally, subsequently to the simulation in accordance with the present invention, one obtains the diffraction intensities in the far field as a function of the angles of diffraction. A diffraction pattern calculated in this manner is evident in FIG. 4. For this simulation, moreover, the assumption was made that the irradiated light is transverse-electric light. The wavelength and the half width of the light conform with the Gaussian profile indicated above. The same also applies to the grating to be examined. From the aforesaid simulation, the quotient may now be derived from diffraction intensity 401 of the first order and from that of the second order 402, for the refractive index that taken as a basis. If the simulation is repeated for a multiplicity of different refractive indices, then the specific functional relationship between the ratio of the intensities of diffraction maxima 401, 402 and the corresponding refractive indices is able to be determined in this manner.

[0047] A diagram precisely illustrating this dependency is provided in FIG. 5. The curve shape it depicts relates, in particular, to the maxima ratio of the first and second order of diffraction 401, 402 (FIG. 4) as a function of various refractive indices. As can be inferred from the curve shape, for certain intensity ratios, there are many ways to make an assignment to a refractive index. As a result, in accordance with the present invention, in order to uniquely define a refractive index for a specific material quantity, the need may arise for a plurality of measurements on probes of different optical densities. The purpose of these additional measurements is essentially to determine the curvature characteristic of the curve defined by the functional relationship, to thereby enable the measured intensity ratio to be uniquely assigned to a refractive index.

[0048] As can be inferred from the diagram according to FIG. 5, for the material quantity examined here, given an intensity ratio of the first and second order of approximately 2.15, a refractive index of n=1.55 is ascertained. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for determining a refractive index, in particular for amounts or structures of matter in the micrometer range, comprising the following steps: a) providing an amount of matter in the form of a theoretically measurable diffraction and/or scattering pattern; b) defining two or more diffraction patterns to form at least one intensity ratio; c) generating at least one intensity distribution by irradiating the scattering pattern using a light beam of a defined form; d) forming the intensity ratio or ratios using the orders of diffraction of the intensity distribution; e) determining at least one portion of a characteristic curve of the functional relationship between the intensity ratio and the refractive index; f) assigning the derived intensity ratio to the refractive index using the characteristic curve;
 2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein it is checked in-step f) whether the formed intensity ratio can be uniquely assigned to a refractive index; if this is not the case, the following steps are also to be performed: a) performing steps a) through d) of the method for one or more further amounts of matter of a different optical density, retaining step b); f) assigning the further intensity ratios to their refractive indices using the characteristic curve; c) assigning the refractive index to the amount of matter.
 3. The method as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein the light beam has a Gaussian beam shape.
 4. The method as recited in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the light includes monochromatic and/or polarized light.
 5. The method as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the intensity ratio is derived from higher order diffraction maxima.
 6. The method as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the scattering pattern includes a diffraction grating.
 7. The method as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the intensity ratios are determined from the diffraction distribution in the far field.
 8. The method as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the scattering pattern includes an essentially two-dimensional arrangement of rods.
 9. The method as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the intensity ratios or the diffraction distribution are measured during transmission, as well as during reflection.
 10. The method as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the matter has a homogeneous or inhomogeneous distribution of matter.
 11. The method as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein, by applying the method, the complex refractive index is able to be determined from the imaginary and the real part.
 12. The method as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein a Gaussian light beam of one wavelength is directed at a diffracting amount of matter in a geometric arrangement having a mathematically representable motif function, for example in the form of a diffraction grating; and the diffraction-intensity distribution is measured in the far field, in transmission, apart from the undiffracted beam, at least one further maximum of the intensities of the maxima of the zeroth to the first order and of the first to the second order being formed; and these being compared to calculated functional values of the intensity ratios, which were obtained by calculating the diffraction intensities on the mathematically defined structure; the refractive index of the matter having been varied in the motif function; and the intensity ratio of the orders of diffraction to the refractive index having a unique dependency; and, by comparing the measured intensity ratios and the calculated values of the intensity ratios of the orders, the refractive index of the matter in question being determined.
 13. A device for determining a refractive index, in particular for amounts of material or structures of matter in the micrometer range and, in particular, for implementing a method in accordance with one of the preceding claims, comprising: a) a device for supplying a defined light beam for irradiating diffracting and/or scattering matter; b) a detector device for recording a diffraction intensity distribution emanating from the matter; c) a device for determining the intensity ratio(s) between at least two detected diffraction maxima from the diffraction intensity distribution of predefined orders of diffraction; d) a computer device for at least partially determining the functional relationship between the intensity ratio and the refractive index and for assigning the specific intensity ratio to the corresponding refractive index. 